'Mr Didcot' played more than 850 games for the Rail waymen, winning the FA Vase and captaining the club to its first journey into Step 3 back in 2009.
Monday's 1-0 win at home to Ware in the Southern Division One Central playoff final, decided by Jamar Smith's first-half penalty, earned a return to that level for the south Oxfordshire outfit.
Quite the triumph for Heapy, establishing himself as Didcot's standard bearer in the dugout as well as on the pitch, but it was only possible after his biggest victory - kicking a rare form of cancer into remission.
Diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in 2021, Heapy underwent an arduous year of chemotherapy that kept him in hospital for months at a time, during which he considered vacating the Loop Meadow hotseat but the help of his trusted assistants made all the difference, making this season's success the sweetest imaginable.
"When you are sitting there it puts things in perspective," Heapy told The NLP. It was tough but you have two choices - what do you do, give up or fight? "I was in hospital for many months and Craig Adey and Paul Bedwell, my assistants, stepped up to look after things.
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra May 07, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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WRAGGY WILL BE SORELY MISSED
MACCLESFIELD FC have led the tributes to “colossal” former manager Peter Wragg, who has passed away.
BURY & RAMMY HIT BIG STAGE!
BRYANLY’S late penalty kept Bury top of the tree in front of another record-breaking crowd at Gigg Lane on Boxing Day.
BRAVE BERKO ARE ON TRACK
Ducks demolition maintains title tilt
OWLS THAT! CLEE GLEE ON TOP OF THE TREE
CLEETHORPES Town maintained their four-point lead at the top of NPL East with a hard-fought 2-1 derby win over North Ferriby at the Myenergi Stadium.
HAWKS SWOOP IN FOR DERBY GLORY
REUBEN AUSTIN hailed Havant & Waterlooville teammate Leon Maloney’s wonder goal as ‘a hell of a strike’ as the Hawks continued their promotion push with a 3-1 local derby success over Gosport Borough.
JULIUS DICTATES - BUT FANS MIST IT
JULUS Ndene handed Leek Town a famous victory in the mist – not that any of the fans got to see it!
GOLDEN BROWN BACK AT THE TOP
PHIL Brown gave his Kidderminster Harriers players Christmas off – and was rewarded with a climb to the top of the tree.
BRENNAN'S BOYS SALVAGED IN 'KAMIKAZE' YEAR END
STRAIGHT talking Dean Brennan lamented ‘kamikaze’ defending despite seeing his Barnet nick a dramatic late point to end 2024 at the National League summit.
FIVE-STAR PIRATES PUMMEL ROVERS
IN the final game of the year at the Ledger Stadium, second-placed Real Bedford faced off against fourth-placed Barton Rovers, who arrived as the league’s in-form side.
MOORE'S LATE GOAL SEALS BIG REDS WIN
GEORGE Moore was the hero grabbing a stoppage-time winner to sink Kingstonian and take Uxbridge to third in the table in what is becoming a fascinating promotion race in the Pitching-In Isthmian South Central.
